13,520 Garden Web Discussions | Perennials
The tell-tale sign the damage was done by a rabbit: the cut is at a 45ð angle. Those destructive little %$#!s have not only decimated our phlox, they have completely eaten every single stalk and leaf of our delphinium (and continues to eat any new shoot that peeks up from the root), eaten most of our coreopsis, echinacea, heliopsis, yarrow, and variegated hosta. They have eaten all the petals off my wave petunias and chewed off the tender new bottom branches of all my rose bushes. I've sprayed that vile liquid fence all over and they think it's salad dressing. I am seriously beside myself. I hate those rabbits with a passion!!!!! >:\ Grrrrr!!!!!
This post was edited by marthastoo on Sat, Jun 21, 14 at 22:23
The traditional defense to dining preferences of rabbits is one of those folding wire "rabbit" fences with legs set into the dirt, or something similar like wire mesh. They come knee-high & slightly shorter and can be used to protect a general area or just a specific plant. Useful, too, to corral floppy plants inconspicuously. More decorative permanent edging & fencing with non-squirmable spacing does the trick, with buried mesh to prevent digging underneath.
Surrounded by woodlands here, with many rabbits & other wildlings, all with tummies to fill! Find encompassing the beds with plants they don't like deters them from exploring the interior. Lavender, monarda, salvia, heuchera, dusty miller & more work as edging. While waiting for plants to originally fill in, those rabbit fences come in handy! After that, I don't clear the foliage in the Fall even on those not evergreen - perhaps the oils in the leaves & stems continue to repel them or they've decided by then those beds are not interesting?
A few of the deer, a small minority of the several herds here, find perfumed phlox irresistible as they begin to bloom (ditto roses). Those are protected by lavender, agastache, others high in essential oils, thick floppy plants & those that obscure their footing. Deer here are very careful where they step while browsing & hesitant to risk where they can't see bare ground, reluctant to even jump into such unsafe territory. Even wire fences laid on the ground in plain sight on grass exclude them (but not the rabbits!), as do upright jumpable fences if the flower or veggie bed is long & narrow without a clearly visible landing place.
While redoing a 15x20' bed off the front walk last year, potting up some plants temporarily & leaving others, wound up with tempting open areas in the process. Set empty flower pots on bare soil to keep them from advancing into the bed, on the theory of unsure footing. Sure enough, it worked!
With all critters, seems a game of wits & strategy as much as one of claiming territory by fencing...
This post was edited by vasue on Sun, Jun 22, 14 at 13:48
I had an issue with an order for roses in the spring from Pickering Nurseries. One of the bare root roses was very undersized. So I took a photo of all of them before planting, so there was a comparison. I still planned on using the plant, but I wanted documentation. Sure enough, out of all the roses I received, that was the only one that didn't make it. I emailed them the other day with a photo of the rose when it arrived and a report on how it grew and that it had died and they quickly refunded my purchase price. So having a photo of how it looked on arrival is always a good thing, even if you plan on keeping it.
This afternoon we went to the garden center where I thought I had got the Spigelia a few years ago. They didn't have any - but they did have Bowman's Root! So I got one to try... Now the question is where to put it! I'd like it to be in the front garden were it'd be seen more often but there's not too many places there that would suit its needs. I think I might try it on the north or east side of the garage where there we moved some hostas this spring. I think it'd look good with those.
There is always next year for Easter flowers. Or perhaps in September for Mother Mary's birthday.
Here is a link that might be useful: flowers delivery
thanks for all of the replies. I took them out last night and the smell was nasty. I guess it was root rot. They were sitting in a ton of water. We got so much rain in a short amount of time and with my clay soil, guess it was too much. I will ammend the bed more and find a more tolerable plant.
Something to think about for later when you get new plants to put in the heavy clay soil of your beds: if the plants are potted up in a light peat based medium you might want to remove it when you plant them into to your soil. If you don't, and you water the plants then your soil acts as a basin for the water around the root ball in the light soil and they tend to drown easily.
Maybe one of the "Flame series" phlox paniculata? These are dwarfs at 20" tall & come in a wide assortment of named colors with high mildew resistance & prolonged bloom beginning earlier than taller (3-5') phlox. Not usually a fan of minnied classics, find myself appreciating these for their retention of that sweet phlox fragrance, their versatility where their taller brethren would be too large & their kindred ability to lure the fliers - hummingbirds & hummingbird moths, butterflies, bees.
Tried a couple of the Early Start pink ones last year - Pink & Light Pink. Like them, but wanted something with a bit more height & heft. Added Flame Blue this year, a bicolor with blueish buds that open to white flowers marbled with the color of the buds. The individual florets are as large as tall phlox, though the flowerheads are shorter to match the proportion of stems, which are densely clothed with leaves. Lots of presence & flower power early to late. Would like to find Flame Coral and White next...
Yours looks a bit like Flame Lilac in the link below. Clicking "previous plant" & "next plant" will show a number of these Flames & other dwarfs. In the shorties, there's also the Early Start series, the Junior series, the Pixie series & more.
Here is a link that might be useful: Short phlox paniculata
This post was edited by vasue on Fri, Jun 20, 14 at 16:35
I ordered some shrubs from Bluestone lasts year. Yes, they were small, but a couple of months after I planted them I decided to move one of them. You should have seen that root system! It would have easily filled a gallon pot even though the plant hadn't appeared to grow that much.
As as been said many times, the first year in the ground, a shrub spends its time expanding its root system. There may not be much top growth, but that doesn't mean it isn't doing anything.
Kevin
I have it also. Third year its come back with very good increase after the first year. Gets some sun so leaves retain a little coppery color. It's been divided into three plants and put up with my moving it several times before getting the right spot. Nice and healthy plant. Like plants that stay healthy and return each year. Yah!
I think if you cut back a healthy plant growing in the ground then it jettisons a corresponding part of its root system, and then both recover as they can. I think this response will be different between plants. Anything that evolved with being browsed, like a shrub or a perennial, will come back more easily than something like a tree that isn't usually browsed. That's why there is a rule of thumb that if a tree loses more than a third of its canopy in an ice storm then it's pretty much a goner. If I damage roots on a perennial, shrub, most houseplants in pots when I am moving, repotting, or whatever, then I cut back the top growth to even things out some. I find the plant will jettison top growth anyway until it has an amount that the roots can support. (If I trim it then I get to decide what gets jettisoned.) I wouldn't be afraid to cut back the Russian sage, and in fact I think it would be helped. Also I am a big fan of lawn chairs over the plant until it perks up.
"Actually, what happens when plants are cut back is that they divert their energy resources TO replacing their cut leaves, in the opposit direction of the roots. Plants can't do both things very well so the most important function wins the battle.
The leaves are the energy producing factories without which the plant cannot make new roots, grow, fend off diseases and insects. "
That statement is not entirely accurate.
lils and aseed are correct in their posts.
In addition:
Yes, leaves produce food for the plant, but roots also store that energy as carbohydrates in addition to providing water to the foliage. When the leaves are stressed - wilted - they cannot produce energy. In order for photosynthesis to take place in the leaves, the leaves need both light and WATER. If the leaves are wilted, they aren't doing anything for the plant. In fact, they are a liability to the plant.
What happens when a tree is extremely stressed by drought? Eventually it drops its leaves. It can't support them. If the drought ends in a reasonable amount of time, the tree will grow new leaves because it has stored energy - carbohydrates - in its roots.
What happens in the spring after a long cold winter? Plants in the garden have lost their leaves. The roots with their stored energy (in addition to rising temps and water) bring the plant out of dormancy and make it possible for the plant to regrow its leaves. Yes, leaves are important, but a plant can survive for a much longer period without leaves as opposed to without roots.
One more example and I'll shut up:
2 years ago I dug out a peony. I guess I missed some roots because this stupid plant keep sprouting new growth and I keep chopping it off. It's a weekly battle. Evidently, there was a lot of stored food in those roots to allow this continual resprouting process to take place.
Kevin
Good deal! I have one plant of this in my yard. It hasn't grown much, but it has flowered for me every year. I think I need to move it where it can be seen. It gets hidden between a daylily and a geranium, but I put it there because those plants provide it shade. They don't crowd it out, they just provide it some relief from the afternoon sun.
Karen
Pitimpinai, I tried and tried to use my 'Annabelle'. I moved it twice, then tried giving it support and now it has moved to it's final resting spot, out of my view in an area that I rarely pay any attention to where it can do it's own thing. :-) I put another Hydrangea in it's place called 'Madame Emile Mouillere'. It is a white mop head with pretty edges to the petals that remind me of pinking shears. I just moved it this spring and after last winter it has only one flower getting ready to bloom, but I have high hopes it will be an improvement over 'Annabelle'
That's funny, I wanted to get 'Minnesota Snowflake' but they were out of it and I ended up with 'Buckley's Quill' which definitely is a double and I believe is a dwarf as well. Unfortunately, it has no fragrance that I can detect. Your Minnesota Snowflake is fragrant, yes? I wonder if you can keep it pruned to the size you need? I'm still looking for another Philadelphus that is fragrant.
Yes, prairiemoon2, that Philadelphus is fragrant - lovely fragrance, just like Betty Corning. I gave up on making the Philadelphus stay short. It has not grown terribly wide, because the area no longer gets much sun after my next door neighbor extended the house upward.
Re actinium: one year deer pruned my actinium and they bloomed very late. Fortunately we had a late frost so got to see some bloom though the blossoms were small.
No, not too late. Just cut some of mine down yesterday. I'm still pinching hibiscus, too.